Lixel L3 vs L2 Pro
Both scan, both fuse, and both feed LixelStudio and LCC Studio from one capture. The L3 publishes tighter accuracy and levelness, a larger camera sensor, a built-in display and survey-grade RTK inside the device. The L2 Pro reaches further in its 32-channel / 300 m configuration, and its handheld unit is lighter.
This page compares the XGRIDS Lixel L3 and Lixel L2 Pro spatial scanners, written L3 and L2 Pro below. The L3 here is not the DJI Zenmuse L3, an aerial LiDAR payload that Alpine Reality Capture also sells.
Which One to Buy
Buy the L3 unless one of two things decides the job. XGRIDS publishes tighter accuracy, levelness and camera specifications for the L3, and it builds survey-grade RTK and a control display into the scanner rather than attaching them. Buy the L2 Pro when the site needs standoff distance past 120 m (394 ft), which only its 32-channel / 300 m configuration reaches, or when carrying the lighter handheld unit through a full day of capture decides the result.
Nothing else in the decision is a trade. The software, the licenses, the environmental ratings and the outputs are the same on both, so the comparison below is short by design.
Buy the L3 when:
- The deliverable stands on published accuracy: 5 mm relative and 2 cm absolute, against 1 cm and 3 cm on the L2 Pro
- Image quality carries the deliverable: a 1/1.3-inch sensor with 4K HDR, against the L2 Pro's 1/2-inch sensor
- You want RTK in the box rather than a module to select, buy and fit before a session
- You want to run and check the scan on the scanner, with no phone in the loop
- You already own standard RTK survey poles and want control points marked from them
Buy the L2 Pro when:
- The site needs range past 120 m (394 ft): only the 32-channel / 300 m configuration covers it
- Handheld weight through a full day is the constraint: 3.7 lb (1.7 kg) for the unit against 5.5 lb (2.5 kg) for the L3
- You need a drone-mounted LiDAR payload on an airframe you already fly
The Measures That Change
Every figure below is XGRIDS' published specification for that device, with the conditions XGRIDS states beneath it. Figures are never carried from one device to the other. Not stated means the L2 Pro manual gives nothing for that row; it does not mean the L2 Pro lacks the feature.
| Measure | L3 | L2 Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Relative accuracy | 5 mm (0.2 in)Post-processed, 1 sigma, dedicated 5,382 sq ft (500 m²) indoor test environment. | 1 cm (0.4 in) RMSEPost-processed, between two points less than 100 m (328 ft) apart. |
| Absolute accuracy | 2 cm (0.8 in) RMSEHorizontal and vertical, open sky. | 3 cm (1.2 in) RMSEPost-processed, with control points or RTK, disconnection under 100 m (328 ft). |
| Real-time relative accuracy | 1 cm (0.4 in)On the point cloud the moment the scan ends. | 2 cm (0.8 in) RMSE |
| Real-time absolute accuracy | 2.5 cm (1.0 in) RMSEOpen sky. | 3 cm (1.2 in) RMSE |
| Levelness, with RTK fusion | 0.005°Open sky. | 0.015° |
| Levelness, without RTK fusion | 0.02°Laboratory conditions. | Not stated |
| Camera sensor | 1/1.3-inch4K HDR using DCG HDR, 4096 × 3072 on every camera. | 1/2-inchPanoramic cameras at 2 × 48 MP, panoramic image up to 56 MP. |
| Camera layout | One forward camera at 100° × 75°, two panoramic at 200° × 200° | Two panoramic at 190° × 190°, plus a 1 MP global-shutter visual positioning camera at 190° × 119° |
| HDR | 4K HDR, DCG HDR | Not stated |
| Built-in display | 4.3-inch TFT, up to 1,000 nits, 480 × 800Runs the scan with no phone connected and shows point cloud, trajectory and coverage live. | Not statedThe scan is run and monitored from a phone. |
| RTK | Built in, survey-grade0.8 cm + 1 ppm horizontal, 1.5 cm + 1 ppm vertical; 4.0 dBi peak-gain antenna. Included with every L3. | Attachable Standard or Survey-Grade moduleSelected and fitted before the session, bought as an add-on or in the Full Package. |
| Maximum range | 120 m (394 ft)Both configurations, 16-channel / 120 m and 32-channel / 120 m. From 0.7 m (2.3 ft). | 120 m (394 ft) or 300 m (984 ft), by configurationThree configurations: 16-channel / 120 m, 32-channel / 120 m and 32-channel / 300 m. |
| Weight | About 5.5 lb (2.5 kg)Including battery. | 3.7 lb (1.7 kg)Handheld unit without battery. |
| Operating time | 100 minutesTotal operating time. Battery: 14.4 V, 3,350 mAh. | 1.5 hoursA single recording is capped at 90 minutes by firmware. |
| Repeatability | 2 cm (0.8 in)Open sky. | 2 cm (0.8 in) RMSE |
| Point cloud thickness | ≤ 5 mm (≤ 0.2 in)Post-processed, within a 10 m walking path. | 5 mm (0.2 in) |
| Dimensions | 8.1 × 4.2 × 13.0 in (206 × 107 × 329 mm) | 7.1 × 5.1 × 15.7 in (180 × 130 × 400 mm)Including battery and base. |
| Control point collection | From a standard RTK survey pole | GCP Collection Base accessory |
| Map Fusion without control points | Supported in LixelStudio and LCC StudioSessions are matched by region selection. | Not statedEach segment links to its neighbor by RTK or by shared control points placed during the scan. |
| On-device filtering | AI dynamic object removal and AI noise filtering during capture | Not statedDynamic object removal is a processing option in LixelStudio. |
The accuracy figures come from different tests. XGRIDS measured the L3's 5 mm at 1 sigma in a dedicated 5,382 sq ft (500 m²) indoor test environment; it states the L2 Pro's 1 cm as post-processed RMSE between two points less than 100 m (328 ft) apart. Read them as two figures measured under different conditions, and quote each with its conditions in any proposal. The L3 method is set out in XGRIDS' Accuracy Verification White Paper.
The weights measure different bundles. The L3 figure includes its battery. The L2 Pro manual weighs the handheld unit without one. Compare like with like before planning a full day of handheld capture around either number.
Reasons to Buy the L2 Pro Instead
Range and carried weight are the two published measures where the newer device does not win, and each decides a real class of job. Drone mounting is a third reason, and it is a matter of timing rather than specification.
Standoff range decides quarry faces, bridge soffits, tall facades, stockpiles and any scan where the surface cannot be walked close to. On those sites the 32-channel / 300 m configuration is the one that reaches, and there is no L3 equivalent.
Carried weight decides long handheld days, ladder and scaffold work, and tight interiors where a scanner is held out at arm's length. Compare the two figures on the same basis before deciding, because the L2 Pro figure excludes its battery and the L3 figure includes one.
A third reason applies to a smaller group of buyers: the L2 Pro's published mount list is handheld, backpack, vehicle and drone, so it is the scanner that flies today. The L3 mount is covered under Buying Considerations.
What Does Not Change With the Choice
Software, licensing, environmental rating and outputs are common to both, so none of them belongs in the decision.
| Item | L3 | L2 Pro |
|---|---|---|
| LixelStudio licenses | Three perpetual licenses included | Three perpetual licenses included |
| LCC Studio | Basic free with account registration; Premium $2,500 per year | Basic free with account registration; Premium $2,500 per year |
| Map Fusion in LixelStudio | Up to 10 maps per fusion | Up to 10 maps per fusion |
| Point rate | 320,000 (16-channel) or 640,000 (32-channel) points per second | 320,000 (16-channel) or 640,000 (32-channel) points per second |
| LiDAR field of view | 360° × 270° | 360° × 270° |
| Laser class | Class 1, 905 nm | Class 1, 905 nm |
| Onboard storage | 1 TB UFS | 1 TB SSD |
| Protection rating | IP54 | IP54 |
| Operating temperature | -4 °F to 122 °F (-20 °C to 50 °C) | -4 °F to 122 °F (-20 °C to 50 °C) |
| Real-time colored point cloud | Supported | Supported |
| Outputs from one capture | True-color point cloud, mesh and LCC 3DGS | True-color point cloud, mesh and LCC 3DGS |
Both devices process in LixelStudio for measurement-grade point clouds, mesh and fusion, and in LCC Studio for photorealistic Gaussian Splat walkthroughs of the same project. XGRIDS publishes the L3 export list as point cloud .las, .rcp, .e57, .ply, .ilas, and mesh .osgb and .obj; 3DGS .lcc2, .lcc and .ply; 3D Tiles (.3tz) and .usd; imagery .jpg.
Because the software is the same, so is the workstation. Sizing it, and what a full setup costs beyond the scanner, is on What an XGRIDS Setup Costs.
What Each One Is Sold As
L3
- One package, with both configurations available in it
- Survey-grade RTK built in, so there is no positioning tier to choose
- Three perpetual LixelStudio licenses and a 1-year warranty
- Fits standard RTK survey poles, so most survey teams buy no extra pole
- A drone mount is in development for the DJI Matrice 400
L2 Pro
- Sold in package tiers, so the package decides what arrives with the scanner
- RTK is a module choice: Standard or Survey Grade, matched to the site's sky conditions
- Three perpetual LixelStudio licenses
- Control points are marked on the GCP Collection Base accessory, and a 6.6 ft (2 m) extension pole is available
- Published mount options are handheld, backpack, vehicle and drone, so it is the drone-capable scanner today
Drone work is the one capability with a date attached. The L2 Pro has a shipping drone bracket and a drone-specific aerial RTK module today. An L3 drone mount is in development for the DJI Matrice 400, with no announced date. If the buying decision depends on flying the scanner this year, that is the deciding fact, and it is worth confirming with us before you order.
Prices are in the store, not on this page. Every Alpine buying guide works this way, so a page cannot drift from what you are actually charged. Configuration, package and current pricing for both scanners are on the store pages.
Two Questions That Settle It
First: does any surface on your typical site sit further away than 120 m (394 ft) from where you can stand or drive? If yes, the L2 Pro 32-channel / 300 m configuration is the only one of the two that reaches it.
Second: will you fly the scanner on a drone within the next year? If yes, the L2 Pro is the one flying today.
If both answers are no, the L3 is the stronger buy on every measure that differs, and nothing in the software, licensing or outputs changes with the choice.
- Lixel L3 buying guide, with accuracy conditions, specifications, RTK, packages and workstation requirements
- L2 Pro buying guide, with configurations, packages, RTK modules and accessories
- What an XGRIDS Setup Costs, for everything you pay beyond the scanner
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